She Isn't Gwen
by darkdestiney2000
Summary: This was not happening. He was not in this situation again. Peter closed his eyes off from the scene in front of him for a brief moment. When he opened them again, nothing had changed. But this couldn't be happening to him, again. The power shifted out of his hands and she was falling. SPOILERS for TASM 2! Avengers/Spider-Man Crossover- Two Shot
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello Everyone! This idea has been bouncing around in my head for a little while so I thought I would write it down. This is my first Spider-Man/Avengers story so I apologize for any inaccuracies. I haven't read the comics, just watched the movies. If you have any comments or critiques, please let me know in a constructive way. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! I have a couple other Spider-Man/Avengers ideas that I might write soon. If you liked this story, stay tuned for more. As always, I do NOT own anything (Disclaimer).

This was not happening. He was not in this situation again. Peter closed his eyes off from the scene in front of him for a brief moment. When he opened them again, nothing had changed. But this couldn't be happening to him, again.

While his eyes and brain struggled to come to the realization that his heart accepted, he took in the circumstances around him. He was standing at the top of Avenger Tower craning his neck to see three figures in a helicopter above him. Two of the people were dressed in black from head to toe and sporting large rifles. The third could not have looked more out of place. With his enhanced vision, Peter could see the terror in Pepper Potts' eyes. Dressed in her everyday black pencil skirt, silk blouse, and high heels, she stood as stiff as a plank, angling herself away from the open door as best as she could. Her normally tidy hair whipped around and Peter tried not to imagine that her hair was blonde. _Pepper isn't Gwen, _he said in his head. But because he had been in this situation before, his brain was having a hard time separating that memory from reality. He would blink and see Gwen in Harry's arms trying to talk him out of doing something terrible. He would blink again and see Pepper yelling at the masked man. Blink. There was Gwen falling gracefully down to him. Blink. Pepper hadn't moved. Of course she hadn't moved, it wasn't too late for her. Peter hadn't saved Gwen; but, he could save Pepper.

"She isn't Gwen." This time he said it aloud. Maybe hearing it with his own ears would make it more real. It didn't help. When he looked up at the helicopter, Gwen was standing beside Pepper and the two assailants, her eyes begged him to do something- anything!

"You weren't invited to this party," A voice rang out from Peter's left. "Move along before someone gets hurt." His eyes darted from the sky to ground where a walkie-talkie was. Returning his attention back to Pepper, he crouched down and lifted the device to his mouth.

"Doesn't look like much of a party to me," Peter quipped back, attempting to lighten the situation some and put Pepper at ease. "I think you need more people for it to be considered a party. We could maybe call this a meeting or a small gathering. But it is definitely not a party. The lady there certainly isn't having fun. You guys are atrocious hosts." He knew he sounded like an idiot but damnit he didn't care. All he had to do was stall until the others got here.

Today had started out as a normal day. He was spending the morning with Aunt May when the call came in. When the word 'Work' popped onto his phone, he quickly put his poker face on. "Hello, Mr. Jamison." He plastered a fake look of annoyance onto his face and rolled his eyes for dramatic effect. Aunt May quickly turned the volume down on the television, not that he needed her to or that he could tell her that his hearing was better than perfect, and he flashed a smile of thanks at her.

"Peter, we have a situation." The concern and authority in Steve's voice practically oozed out of the receiver. "I just got a call from Happy, Tony's driver. He and Ms. Potts were attacked as they were leaving the Stark Industries building about ten minutes ago. Someone blew up the car as they were walking towards it. He was able to get them away from the blast but it was all planned. As soon as they ran for cover someone was waiting for them in a side alley. They knocked him out and took her."

Peter could feel his blood turning to ice. He only hoped that his façade didn't crumble as he responded, "Oh, someone spotted Spider-Man? I'm sure if I hurry I can get a couple good pictures of him in action and get them uploaded before another newspaper." He mouthed a 'Sorry!' to his Aunt before running up the stairs to his bedroom. "Okay, I'm alone," he dropped the act. "Do you have any idea where she is or who took her?"

"As of right now, we don't have any intel on them. They had a helicopter and were last seen heading towards The Tower. Natasha and I are en route from D.C."

"What about Stark?" He interrupted as he quickly threw some supplies and his mask into his photography bag.

"He had meetings in California this week. Happy called him but it's going to take some time-"

Peter interrupted again, getting straight to the point. "I'm the only one in town, aren't I?"

"Bruce is at SHIELD helping to track her location, but we really can't get The Hulk involved unless there is no other option. Clint is out of the country."

"And Thor is off planet," Peter finished the sentence for the good Captain. "Okay, so I'll head downtown and find the helicopter. I'll find her, Steve." He raced down the stairs and out the front door, sounding more confident than he was feeling. "I'll be back later, Aunt May!" She probably yelled something back but Peter was too busy listening to Steve to hear.

"Listen Pete," His voice softened but still managed to ring with authority. "I know that this is hitting close to home for you right now but Pepper needs you. For now, just focus on finding her. We don't know what they want with her, but it's a safe bet that they are using her to get to Stark. Back-up is on the way so all you really have to do is stall them. Can you do that?"

By that point in time, Peter was slipping the mask over his face. "Yeah, I've got this." After a second, he added, "I can do this."

"Yes, you can. We are all behind you on this. Just do what you can and trust your team. We're on our way. And if you have to engage, your priority is to get her somewhere safe not to capture them. If you have the opportunity to take them down, after you get her to SHIELD, take it. But she is your number one responsibility. Understood?"

"Roger that, Rogers!" He confirmed with a little more sarcasm and enthusiasm than was necessary. But he got his message across, he could practically hear Cap roll his eyes and Natasha snort at his antics. "Tell Natasha to step on it. I'll leave the communicator in my mask on and keep you posted."

From that point, it took little to no effort to find Pepper. The masked men couldn't have made it any easier as they were hovering over The Tower waiting for someone, probably Tony, to show. So there he stood, under the helicopter waiting for something to happen. He wasn't about to engage and risk Pepper getting caught in the crossfire. Just as he was about to tapped his communicator to give Cap and SHIELD an update, the walkie-talkie came to life again.

"Move along Little Spider before you get stepped on." Peter eyed the man on the right, whom he assumed was talking. The man lifted the scope of his rifle to his eye.

"Can't do that," Peter responded. "Put her down. No one has to get hurt here." He dropped the friendly act. Normally, Peter was all about joking and poking fun at common criminals but this was no common situation. He was not in control of the situation in any way, shape, or form. "Look fellas, I know you were looking for Mr. Stark but he isn't even on this side of the country. Now, you are in trouble, there is no denying that. But if you let her go, I'm sure the outcome will be less severe. What do you say?"

He received a speeding bullet to his head in response. Jumping to the right, it missed completely but Peter's temper flared and he fought the urge to swing up and yank both men from the ledge of the helicopter. Pepper screamed something at the men and began trying to fight them with her hands still behind her back. The man on the right struck her hard on the cheek, breaking the skin, and causing a blood to trail down to her chin.

Pushing the button on the side of his walkie-talkie, he projected as much authority into his voice as possible. "HEY! That's enough!" That act of violence had Peter seeing red. He no longer struggled with reality. He was firmly planted in reality. This was not Gwen struggling to get away from a madman. This was not eight months ago and he was not standing at the top of a clock tower. This was reality and Pepper was very much alive and putting up a fight. He would make sure she lived to fight another day. This scene would not play out like it did eight months ago. Over his dead body.

The assailants and Pepper stopped struggling and focused their attention on the rooftop. "The way I see it, you have two options. One: you land on this roof, hand her over, turn yourselves in and MAYBE you only serve jail time. Or two: you continue to make asses of yourselves, intimidate the lady, and then get a beat down by multiple super heroes. Those are the only two options I'm seeing in your future. Do you realize who you've pissed off? Did you think this would turn out in your favor? What the hell is wrong with you people?!"

By the end of his rant, Peter was breathing hard. It had been a while since he let himself feel that much anger. Eight months ago, he had been consumed by rage, sorrow, and anguish. It had taken a great deal of time to even start to get his emotions back under control. But right now the dam that he had built was starting to shift and he could feel the emotions on the brink of rushing out.

His outburst was met with radio silence. He knew that he should update his team and see how far out they were, but he couldn't bring himself to move. He knew, in his gut, that if he moved something would happen. The power he had gained from his speech, that he was trying so hard to keep a hold on, would shift out of his hands.

"Umm, excuse me, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man?" The walkie-talkie crackled. Peter threw his arms in the air as if to say, 'you have my attention'. "We choose option three."

The power shifted out of his hands. She was falling.

In that moment, Peter would later swear that he went temporarily deaf. He saw the fear on Pepper's face and her lips contorted into fear, yet he didn't hear her scream. He could feel his heart convulsing in his throat, but couldn't discern a heartbeat. If the masked men yelled anything as they pushed her from the aircraft, it did not compute in his brain. In that moment, all unneeded senses turned off and the energy normally needed to power them was redirected to his eyes and muscles. His arms were pumping before he realized his brain told him to move. His brown eyes locked onto her thin frame and remained there as she slowly plummeted to the Earth. Her blonde hair blew back in the wind, and her arms flayed as her body did the only thing it could think of to save itself.

One step. Two steps. Three steps. He was quickly running out of ground. There was no plan forming in his mind other than 'catch her'. And he did. Without hesitation, he took one last step off of the rooftop and used his momentum to project himself up and into her path. While it was not the most graceful stunt he had performed, it did the trick. Luckily there was another skyscraper adjacent to Avenger Tower. Keeping a firm grip on her back, Peter twisted at the last second and absorbed the full impact of the fall. They skidded about ten feet or so before sliding onto the ledge of the building and stopping.

His hearing returned as the full impact of the previous moment's events hit him. "Are you alright?" He asked the beautiful woman shaking on top of him. When she finally raised her head to look at him, his heart stopped. She had red hair, not blonde. She was not Gwen. He might have been quick enough to save Pepper but Gwen was still just out of his reach. A drop of the blood on her cheek dripped to his, bringing him out of his daze. Pepper opened her mouth to respond but before she could form a word the terrifying sound of gunfire hit the air. They were being shot at from above. Adrenaline pumping, Peter realized that they weren't out of the woods yet. He rolled both of them closer to the edge, positioning his body on top of hers. "Pepper, I need you to trust me! I'm going to get us out of this! Just trust me!" Too afraid to speak, she nodded her head in a jerking motion.

BANG! Another bullet landed just inches short of Peter's head. They needed to move. Now. Gripping her left arm tightly, he swung them over the lip of the ledge and they were free falling. Since his hearing had returned, he could now hear Pepper screaming. But he also heard a collective gasp from below. They had an audience. Great. He flung a string of webbing to the side of the building and the jolt caused his grip on her arm to loosen slightly. His fingers tightened on her wrist as they quickly moved away from the danger. Several more shots reigned down on them before one hit home on Peter's wrist. For a split second, he lost his hold on Pepper and she fell away from him. Using his momentum to his benefit, he pushed off the side of the glass building he was using as leverage and dove head first after her.

Once again, his eyes couldn't determine if the hair on the falling woman was blonde or red. He was aware that they were getting close to the ground. Just as he was about to shoot some webbing to halt her fall, a soft voice spoke in his head. '_Aim for her wrist, not her chest.'_ Trusting that voice, the webbing found purchase on Pepper's right wrist and in one swift motion he pulled her back into his arms and they were on the move once again.

They ran, or swung rather, for many blocks before Peter realized that no one was behind them. They were almost on the edge of town before Pepper finally yelled at him to stop. But he couldn't stop because for once in his life he didn't want to fight a bad guy. All he wanted was to get Pepper to safety and he didn't feel safe. His spidey senses weren't necessarily going off but his stomach told him to keep moving. He didn't stop until Tony caught up to them in his Iron Man suit. Once Pepper was firmly in Tony's arms, Peter felt his knees give. His lungs screamed for air and his muscles burned from over exertion. But looking at the two of them, he more than knew his discomfort and pain had been worth it. Pepper was shaking in Iron Man's ridged embrace but didn't seem to notice that she would be more comfortable if he took the suit off. Tony whispered words of comfort into her ear as he raked his fingers through her hair. His eyes met Peter's from across the roof. He would later thank Spider-Man for saving the love of his life. But the emotion he showed Peter in that split second was worth more than a million thank-yous. Peter nodded in acknowledgement.

Not long after, Natasha showed up in the Quinjet with Bruce in tow. Peter was grateful because at that point in time he was more than exhausted. Of course that could have been a result of the slight blood loss he had sustained. No one said much as they headed back to The Tower. As they landed, Peter was once again hit with reality. Had it really only been an hour since this whole ordeal started? Had he really been standing on this roof twenty minutes ago? The idea made his stomach turn and he tripped over his feet as they exited the Quinjet. He only stumbled for a moment before Natasha had a hold of his arm. She loosened her grip but remained at Peter's side as he doubled over, hands on his knees. His chest was starting to tighten. He could feel his lungs literally collapsing in on themselves. Of course, he didn't actually have a punctured lung. He was experiencing the early stages of a panic attack. But before it could progress much further, Bruce's face was in his line of sight.

"Hey, you're only a couple feet from the door. Do you think you can make it that far?" Bruce was giving him something to focus on; a goal to achieve. Peter was grateful. He stood back up to full height and gave Bruce a curt nod. They continued their journey inside and once there the door to the landing pad was locked.

"JARVIS, turn-"Tony started to command his AI but stopped talking when the windows inside the room automatically began to tint. "Thanks, J."

"My pleasure, Sir." The AI responded briskly.

"You can lose the mask, Webhead." Tony pointed out as he used a tissue to wipe the blood from Pepper's cheek. Peter looked around to realize that the only people on this floor were Bruce, Tony, Pepper, and Natasha. Everyone in the room knew his true identity.

"Thank God," Peter mumbled as he tugged the mask off. '_I couldn't breathe with that thing on'_ he thought to himself. Choosing to ignore Natasha and Bruce's concerned looks; he turned his attention to Pepper. "Are you alright?"

"I will be." She replied weakly. After a moment, she pushed Tony's hand away gently and walked over towards him. Using only her left arm, she proceeded to pull him into a tight hug and kissed the side of his head. He didn't hug her back. "Thank you, Peter." Pulling away from him, she eyed him up and assessed his posture. "Are _you _alright? And do not tell you that you are fine." Fire burned in her eyes and she pulled the wrist that had been shot away from his stomach, where he had been nursing it.

Snorting slightly, he returned her 'I will be' sentiment and tugged his wrist out of her hand. "You need to take a look at her first." This comment was directed to Bruce. "I heal faster than you do."

"Well there is no reason why I can't take a look at your wrist in the meantime," Natasha gently led him to the kitchen table to sit. Taking a dishtowel from one of the kitchen drawers, she applied pressure to the wound and absorbed some of the blood that had escaped to the outside world. "Looks like it just skimmed the side of your wrist. It didn't go through. You're lucky."

Peter nodded to let Natasha know he heard what she said. However, his attention was on the group across the room. As Bruce continued his examination, it was becoming more and more apparent that something was wrong with her right shoulder. It was dislocated. When had that happened? Peter ran through the events from the last 60 minutes until it hit him. He had dislocated her shoulder. Right after the bullet to his wrist caused him to drop her. He had aimed for her wrist, not her chest. The jarring reverse momentum must have torn her shoulder right out of socket. He had hurt Pepper. He had caused more damage than the two thugs who had abducted her. Why did this always happen? He tried so hard to save her, yet she was still hurt.

"Where are you going?" Natasha's voice broke through his thoughts. He hadn't realized he was standing and walking towards the elevator until she spoke. The question brought the attention of the others in the room. His eyes connected with Pepper's and suddenly she knew where his head was.

"Peter, stop." And he did because he had a weakness for the women in his life. She pushed past Tony and approached him. "I want you to listen to me." Her left hand cupped his chin until he was looking straight in her eyes. "Are you listening to me?" Her eyes pierced into his soul and he wanted so badly to look away. He couldn't disappoint or hurt anyone else in his life. The hand on his chin tightened and she asked again, "Are you listening?" This time he nodded.

"Good. I want you to believe me when I tell you that you did nothing wrong. You did absolutely everything you could to save me. I know that you got the The Tower as soon as you heard I was in trouble. You broke my fall when I was pushed out of the helicopter and took a bullet for me. And don't you think for a second that I didn't notice how close some of those bullets were to your head. And yes, my shoulder is dislocated. But I would rather it be hurting than be dead on the pavement below. Because we both know that is exactly what would have happened. I want you to believe me when I tell you that you didn't hurt me. You saved my life."

Staring into Pepper's eyes while she said those kind words was one of the hardest things Peter had done in a long while. A few times he had tried to pull or look away. But Miss Virginia Potts knew how to get what she wanted from the opposite sex. And right now she wanted to get a point across to him. To drive her message home she continued by adding, "I know where your head is right now. I know you're still hurting even though you pretend that you aren't. And I also know that you didn't kill Gwen. You might not have been able to save her; but, you didn't kill her either. It doesn't matter how many times Bruce, or Steve, or Natasha, or whomever has to tell you that. We are going to keep telling you that until it gets through your thick head, you got it? Are you listening to me?"

Peter opened his mouth to respond but found that the hard knot in his throat wouldn't allow him to. He settled for nodded his head instead. That was enough for Pepper, who released his chin and pulled him into another tight hug. This time he returned the sentiment. She might not be Gwen but Pepper was slowly becoming a constant in his life. He might not believe Pepper when she tells him Gwen's death wasn't on his hand. But it was nice to think, hope even, that her death wasn't his fault. But just like Gwen, that hope came and went just as quickly and abruptly as she did from his life.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello again! I had originally intended for this story to be a one shot but the plot bunny started jumping about. This chapter will conclude the story, but I am planning on writing a couple other Avengers/Spider-Man stories. I'm not sure when they will be up but keep your eyes peeled. Thank you for all of the kind reviews, follows, and favorites. You know how to make a girl feel loved. I hope you enjoy the finale. And as always, I don't own anything (disclaimer).

"Figured I'd find you here."

Peter had heard the approaching footsteps, but hadn't bothered to turn and see whom they belonged to. He didn't need to. By this point in time, he knew the way each of his team members moved. These footsteps demanded attention. They contained a self-assured strut that Peter could see with his eyes closed. Naturally, they belonged to Tony Stark. Within a few seconds, he had traveled the row of tombstones and paused at Peter's side. When Peter didn't respond, he turned his attention from the young hero's face to the gray stone directly in front of them. "Hey Gorgeous Gwen," he whispered so softly that Peter would have missed it had his hearing been on the same par as a normal person. But as it is, he did hear it and the sentiment broke his heart all over again.

"I figured you'd be glued to Pepper's side." After a few moments, Peter drew his attention to Tony.

"She's resting and she's tough. That woman doesn't need a man waiting in the wings." Tony shrugged nonchalantly.

"Translation: You were hovering too much and driving her up a wall?" Peter guessed.

"Bingo."

"She is one tough cookie," Peter replied, trying to save face for his teammate.

Tony took the opening and ran with it. "Tougher than I am. I'm telling you, kid. She's way out of my league." After a moment, he added, "I can't let her go."

They fell into a comfortable silence after that. Peter didn't know how to respond to that statement. Luckily, the friendship they had forged over the past couple years didn't require him to keep up the conversation. Tony Stark was a great conversationalist, which meant he knew when to push the conversation and when to let things unfold naturally. Right now, his gut was telling him that silence said more than words. The silence stretched on for minutes before Peter initiated another turn in the conversation.

"How's her shoulder?"

"It's alright," Tony responded, eyes scanning the empty graveyard. It wasn't outside of the ordinary for Tony Stark to be seen with Peter Parker. Since being signed on as a 'consultant' to SHIELD and The Avengers a few years back, the media was accustomed to snapping pictures of the two together upon occasion. It seemed only logical that Peter have a cover story, a reason to be seen around The Avengers every so often. Hiring Peter as an intern at Stark Industries seemed like the natural move at the time. It was a decision that had panned out for all partied involved. After Peter graduated high school, the billionaire, genius, no-longer-playboy, philanthropist found it in his mechanical heart to keep him on as Peter worked his way through college. The tricky part was limiting the time spent out in the open with Steve, Clint, and Thor. As Tony's intern, Peter was likely to bump into certain people, such as Dr. Banner (who also spent time at Stark Industries) or Natalie Rushman (who occasionally stopped in for a chat). Keeping Peter's identity a secret was something that they all took seriously. "We took her into the ER for that. Bruce wouldn't pop it back into place without some serious pain killers in her system first, which we have laying around somewhere, but he insisted that an actual MD do it. I don't know, maybe he was worried about putting her in more pain than she was already in. We trust him, no problem, but this situation is a little different than the one we are normally in."

"There is a big difference between needed a shoulder popped in because your team needs you and having access to an actual physician with western medicine," Peter agreed with the non-present Bruce Banner.

"Exactly," Tony nodded. "So we got that taken care of and other than that she just needed a few stitches in her cheek. Not too bad considering-" He let the rest of that sentence be carried by the wind. Considering the events of the day, Peter wasn't surprised to find Tony so serious. It was just odd to carry out a conversation for this long without Tony cracking a joke or making a snarky comment.

"It could have been worse," Peter cleared his through and tried not to let his mind wander to the dark place in his head. "But seriously, how is she?"

Peter knew that was a loaded question that could go so many ways. Tony thought for a few moments before responding. "The meds are keeping anything physical under control. But I'm sure she'll be pretty sore for a few days. Her nerves are shot. She's been pretty jumpy even though I upped the security in The Tower. I think she's still in a little bit of shock. When that wears off, she's probably going to be stubborn and want to get back to work. So I'm not looking forward to that fight." He paused before adding, "She's worried about you. But that isn't anything new."

Peter chose to ignore the end of Tony's response. "You'll probably be having that fight sooner rather than later." He chuckled at the idea of that particular argument. During his time at Stark Industries, he had seen his fair share of quarrels between the couple. It was almost an art form that at times was a borderline Broadway show and other times was a catastrophic train wreck.

Tony groaned dramatically, "I'm trying to ignore the inevitable. Maybe if I appeal to her logical side, she'll see it my way." Peter arched an eyebrow at the billionaire. "I'm just saying that if she can't return to work on Monday, she shouldn't go back in the middle of the week. It's like a diet. You have to start on a Monday."

"Stick with that argument," Peter deadpanned. "I predict a victory in your immediate future."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Stark rolled his eyes at the younger man until they fell on Peter's wrist. "How about you? The wrist going to fall off?"

"Nah, Natasha worked her field medic magic. I'll live to fight another day." Peter rotated his bandaged wrist back and forth. "It'll be back to normal in a day or so."

"That's good to hear. You're pretty handy to have around. But you know Cap is going to put you through another physical eval before he lets you come out to play again."

It was Peter's turn to groan. While Steve was an excellent leader and supportive teammate, he had a tendency to act like a helicopter parent at times. He had lightened up some since Peter turned 18 and graduate high school but it still got irritating sometimes. "Oh, I know it."

"You know if you were to persuade one Miss Pepper Potts to take a week-long vacation, I'm sure I could destroy all evidence of this injury." The offer was casually made but Peter saw right through it.

"No dice. I'm sure Bruce, Natasha, AND one Miss Pepper Potts have ratted me out by now."

"Yeah, you're right. In your haste to make like a baby and head out first, you missed the good Captain. He was ready to haul your scrawny ass back into SHIELD medical until Natasha talked him down. You're lucky I'm the one who found you instead of him."

"Where I go isn't really a big secret. You all know where to find me. It's just that you're the only one who likes to invade personal space." Peter added the last bit with a lighter tone, to let Tony know he wasn't as annoyed as he made it out to be. Adding some warmth to the statement didn't make it any less true. While Tony Start was definitely someone you wanted on your team, the guy just didn't know boundaries. It was something the two of them had argued about for months until Peter finally gave up. After figuring out that being pushy was Stark's way of showing affection, Peter was less inclined to put up a fight at every turn. It didn't make the man any less irritating at times but, again, it felt damn good to know that Tony Start had your back in a battle (regardless of the type of battle).

"You forfeited all rights to personal space when you joined our deranged family." When Peter opened his mouth to interrupt, Tony plowed right along, "And don't say you aren't part of the deranged family because we are getting you a matching Christmas stocking this year!"

"Dude, I had a Christmas stocking last year."

Tony's mouth snapped shut before opening again, "You did?"

"Yeah, Pepper got it for me. Remember?" The older man shook his head. "You were probably drunk."

"Most likely," Stark confirmed making Peter chuckle out loud. Tony joined in for a brief moment before the laughter died off. He once again became aware of where they were standing and his expression sobered quickly. "You were right, you know that?"

Not catching the change in topic, Peter laughed again. "Well yeah, I know. It was hanging there with all of yours by the tree. They all match for crying out loud. I wanna know who decided to have 'Petey' monogrammed on it, though."

"I'm not talking about the damn stocking, Pete." Tony cut him off, "You were right when you said I'd get Pepper killed. It almost happened today."

The humor and warmth of the conversation evaporated so quickly that Peter almost choked. He should have known the conversation would take a turn in this direction. Peter remembered that day all too well. Not long after Gwen had died, he and Tony had it out about Peter moving on and picking up the suit again. It was an argument that hadn't ended well. It was an ending that could have halted his relationship with Stark for life. Thankfully, and contrary to popular belief, Tony Stark understood what it felt like to lash out at those who cared about you. He understood that anger and grief could turn the nicest person into a hissing snake. Enough people had forgiven him for his past and he knew that Peter's reaction was just a hiccup in their friendship.

When he opened his mouth to respond Tony interrupted again, "Don't argue with me. We both know it's true. I can't always be there to protect her. Today is a perfect example of that. Being my girlfriend is bad for her health. If you hadn't been around-" He trailed off after that, unable to complete the sentence. He didn't need to complete it. They both knew what would have happened if Peter hadn't been there to literally catch her. The next words out of Tony's mouth shocked Peter. "With everything that has happened over the past year, I think she would be better off without me. She would be safer without me. Today just confirmed what I've been thinking. I need to get her away from this life. We both know what happens to women who date super heroes." With that, he turned away from Peter.

For the second time that day, unspeakable anger boiled up inside Peter. Tony walked a few gravestones before Peter snapped at his retreating form, "So that's it, huh? A couple resourceful thugs are going to scare off the great Tony Stark?" That got his attention. Stark turned around with a murderous glare on his face. "You can send a nuke up into a hole in the sky and fight aliens, but when push comes to shove it's the everyday punk that has you shaking in your suit?"

Tony attempted to argue back but with three wide strides, Peter was in his face. "Everyone feels the need to tell me their opinions and 'knock some sense into me'. Well, this time you're going to listen to me. Every day I wake up thinking of that girl," He motioned to the area where Gwen was laid to rest. "And every night I fall asleep hoping that I'll wake up and realize this was all a dream. I'm starting to realize that it wasn't being with Gwen or away from her that got her killed. It was the middle ground that got her killed. I couldn't stick with a damn decision. I couldn't live with myself for breaking the promise I made Captain Stacy. But I couldn't live without her either! There is no doubt in my mind that it was the back-and-forth, in-and-out of the relationship that put her in that position. If I had just stayed away, she would have been at the airport about to leave for England. And if I had stuck around, I would have dropped her off at the airport myself. I would have supported her and planned on meeting her across the pond after she got settled. But either way, she wouldn't have been at the power plant."

All of the emotions Peter had been feeling that day were fighting to breach the surface. He fought them down. "Yes, Pepper being Iron Man's girlfriend is bad for her health. But being Tony Stark's off-and-on love is fatal. There is a reason why Jane and Thor work so well. There is a reason why Bruce and Betty are both still alive. They didn't pick the middle ground. Betty is safe because Bruce cut all ties and left. He made his decision and stuck to it. No doubt it was the hardest decision he's ever made and he's lonely more often than not, but he did what he needed to do. He is a bigger man than you or I. I couldn't do it and I know that you can't either. We aren't the selfless person that he is. And Thor, well, he's Thor. He has a guardian keeping an eye on Jane and a big ass hammer to protect her with."

Pausing for a second, Peter swallowed heard and took a step back. The anger in Tony's face was slowing draining from his face, being replaced with anguish. "It's too late, Tony. You love Pepper, and she loves you. She's not going anywhere, and you know it. Don't push her away because you think that means protecting her. You will just be putting her in that gray area where she could really get hurt. What is it everyone keeps telling me? I can't blame myself because Gwen chose me? Well, that goes for you too. Pepper doesn't want anyone else. You said it yourself; she's out of your league. But that doesn't matter because her mind is made up. You're stuck with one Miss Pepper Potts. Maybe you need to stop fighting it and enjoy it? Because the day might come when she isn't around anymore and you'll want the good times back." He glanced over his should again. "I know I want them back."

Peter was pretty certain tear were present in Tony's eyes. But then he blinked and they were gone. After letting out a deep, resigning sigh, the billionaire nodded to himself and then said, "We need to limit your time with Barton. You're developing a flair for the dramatics, Webhead."

With the tension fully broken, Peter let out a dry laugh. "Oh, yeah, Clint is the dramatic one. It couldn't possibly be anyone else."

"I'm so glad you agree." Tony ran a hand over his face, looking older than his years. For the first time, in a long time, he looked to be at a loss for words.

"You should probably get back." Peter prompted him and nodded in the direction of Tony's car.

"Yeah, I told Pepper I was getting ice cream for her. I better make good on that promise."

"The woman does like her mint chocolate chip." Stark nodded in agreement before turning on his heel to leave. Peter watched his back for a moment before returning to his normal spot in the cemetery. Tony's voice brought him up short, though.

"I will never be able to thank you enough for what you did today. You're right. I can't go on without her. Thank you, Peter." Peter didn't think he'd ever heard Tony sound more sincere. Knowing that Tony would understand, he responded with a nod and a slight smile (which Tony returned). "You know, you can come back with me. It might clean out my bank account but I can swing two ice creams."

"Thanks, but I'm going to stay here for a little bit." With an 'okay', Stark turned from him once more. "Hey Tony!" He faced Peter once more, this time with an eyebrow arched as if to say 'Yes, Dear?'. "A few months back when I told you that you would get Pepper killed, I was in a really bad place. I shouldn't have said that to you. I couldn't see past my own issues. You and Pepper aren't Gwen and I."

"Don't worry about it, kid. Sometimes even Tony Stark needs to be taken down a peg or two. Not often of course, you've used yours up. Don't think you can pull that crap again." And with that he strutted away from Peter and toward home, where the love of his life was waiting patiently.

A/N: The scene that Tony and Peter are referring to toward the end of the chapter will be in one of the upcoming stories. Please review! :)


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